Why Supergirl Deserves a Season Two

Media/Cinema studies student. Film and television fiend. Consumer of too much coffee and pizza. Wannabe superhero. Tweet me @fangirlcollins.

Dear TV-Watchers, CBS network heads and superhero fans,

I am here today to tell you why I believe Supergirl deserves to be renewed for a second season.

*Spoilers ahead if you haven't seen the season finale*

I am super (see what I did there!) behind with all my shows. I cannot tell you how frustrating it is to be a media student that doesn't have the time to watch said media she adores! I finally found a second to watch the Supergirl season finale. The episode functioned as a conclusion not only to the first season but to the Myriad story line. I thoroughly enjoyed it, it made me surprisingly emotional at points and had a great balance between moments of action and quieter character driven scenes.

Watching the finale made me realize just how far the show has come since it's pilot. It has worked hard over the season evolving and adapting, developing its characters and fleshing out a range of inter-connecting story lines. Unfortunately I think Supergirl has struggled largely because people saw the pilot and were put off. To these people I say "rule number one of TV watching: NEVER judge a show by its pilot! EVER!". The pilot was a little cheesy, yes, and it only had a limited budget so of course visual effects weren't top-notch but since the pilot the budget has gone up, visual effects have improved immensely and the chemistry between cast members has really flourished making for a incredibly enjoyable show.

With Supergirl coming from the creators of Arrow and The Flash, naturally people are going to compare these shows. Sure it is not quite on par with them but everyone needs to remember the show is still finding its feet. The Flash had a strong first season however Arrow did not, at least in my opinion, really find its footing till part way through season two. The shows are never going to be the same and they shouldn't be. Instead they should be praised for their uniqueness and different tones. The other issue in comparing these show is that many people seem to forget that for the most part Supergirls differences from Arrow and The Flash are a result of the network the show airs on. CBS whilst it does screen some great shows, is also known for incredibly cheesy soap operas such as The Bold and The Beautiful. They have a completely different audience than networks such as the CW which might opt for grittier tones. Supergirl is in many ways more of a family show than many other current superhero shows so for the most part it is going to avoid dark plot-lines perhaps in favor for more fun or romantic ones. I will put my hand up and admit it I am a sucker for cheesy plot-lines probably more so than the average viewer. However I, too at times found the show to be incredibly cheesy but I think it has worked to balance that as the season has progressed.

I'm also going to say this too, another reason it hasn't done as well is due to the fact that a large portion of the male superhero/comic fan demographic has turned their noses up at it deeming it to be too feminine. This is precisely why we need this show though. This show has so many fantastic feminine role models; Alex, Kara, Lucy and Cat are all extremely well-rounded characters. They're strong badass characters but unlike most 'strong female' roles none of these characters, even Supergirl, herself are immune to emotional crises, to making mistakes and to struggling with life. That is what gives the show its heart. These characters are at once both role models and relatable. Rather than growing up like I did, with the superhero media full of screaming damsels-in-distress young girls today will be able to see that women can be heroes too and not just the superheroes, the secondary characters that are present in the form of lawyers, journalists, CEO's, and scientists that go on to work for the government on the show. Heck the show even has National City existing in a USA where the president is a black woman- how cool is that!

There is no doubt that the driving force of the show is its characters and their relationships. Stand out characters for me aside from Kara, are Cat Grant and Alex Danvers. Cat has quickly become one of my favorite characters on the show initially positioned as the character you love to hate she transitioned nicely into the character you love to love! Played brilliantly by the fab Calista Flockhart she is fierce, strong and will not stand for any bullsh*t. I love most of what comes out of her mouth but I loved the quote below from the pilot. Almost as if the writers were directly addressing the audiences doubts about Supergirl!

"What do you think is so bad about girl? I'm a girl, and your boss, and powerful, and rich, and hot, and smart. So if you perceive Supergirl as anything less than excellent, isn't the real problem, you?" - Cat Grant

Alex played by the phenomenally talented Chyler Leigh has also been a standout for me what she has bought to Alex's identity and the relationship between Alex and Kara has been incredible, as well as their relationship with J'onn J'onzz played by David Harewood. The whole cast including Jenna Dewan Tatum, Jeremy Jordan, Laura Benati, Mechad Brooks, Peter Facinelli and Chris Vance have brought life to their characters and have great chemistry with one another.

The writing on this show, in terms of dialogue, is fantastic I adore the pop culture references that litter the episodes the show is witty, reflexive and at times very funny. I also enjoy all of the inspirational monologues because inspirational quotes are my jam. The best episode of the season, which I'm sure many of you will agree with me, was the crossover with The Flash. Due to the shows residing on different networks I wasn't sure it was ever going to happen but it did and I'm so happy it did because it was EPIC! The chemistry between Melissa and Grant was so adorable their characters had a great rapport and despite facing two strong villains with The Silver Banshee and Livewire the episode retained its lightheartedness throughout. Barry's presence injected some much-needed life and excitement and brought a different dynamic to the show that I'd love to see more of in the future.

Now some media outlets have been reporting the last few days that due to CBS facing financing issues that Supergirl may move to the CW. Whilst this may seem ideal and an easy fix seeing as Supergirl's creators already produce Arrow, The Flash and Legends of Tomorrow, logistically is would be very difficult. Surprisingly for the first time in a long time, the CW renewed every single show already on its lineup, currently about 16 shows. That is a full slate with little room for additional shows. Then comes issues of transferring locations and sets (not the mention the actors lives!) from California to Vancouver where most of the CW's productions are based. Then further issues of continuity. However, if this could all be worked out I truly feel like Supergirl would thrive on the CW!

Hiatus is bad enough as is, but a hiatus in which you don't know if the show will return is the absolute worst. Anyway CBS you cannot just end the season the way you did, with -

- without giving us a season two... that would just be rude. I am not ashamed to say Kara, Winn, Alex and Cat are characters who inspire me and I'm sure a lot of other people. Pretty please give us a season two!!

Until a season two has been confirmed you'll be able to find me re-watching episodes, trying to find cute dresses to emulate Kara's wardrobe, attempting to make my hair as 'swooshy' as hers and most likely asking everyone I know "Who is in the pod!?".

What are your thoughts on Supergirl, do you watch it or not and why? Leave me a comment below!